How to Properly Change App Permissions in Windows 10

Starting with Windows 8, one of the main selling points of Windows 8 and 10 is the modern apps and how they make things easier for you. However, unlike in Android where every app you install will ask for your permission to access certain content and settings, Windows 10 provides an app with all the permissions upfront when it is installed. There is nothing bad with this approach but it is always a good idea to have more control over what an app does on your system.

That being said, Windows 10 provides you will all the options necessary to manage the app permissions. Here is how to change app permissions in Windows 10.

Manage App Permissions in Windows 10

Thanks to the new settings app in Windows 10, it is very easy to manage different permissions like camera, contacts, location, etc., on a per app basis with just a few clicks.

To start, search for “Settings” and open it. Alternatively, you can also open it from the Notification pane.

Once opened, select the option “Privacy” to continue.

Change Location Permissions

Once you are in the Privacy window, navigate to the Location tab appearing on the left panel. From here you can manage which apps can access your location data. On the right pane scroll down, and you will see the list of all the apps that need your location data.

Simply toggle the button next to an app, and it will turn off the location service for that particular app. For instance, I’ve disabled the location service for the Windows 10 game Asphalt Airborn game.

If you want to completely turn off the location service for all the apps, then you can do that by toggling the button under the Location category. This action will prevent any app from getting your location information.

Change Camera Permissions

To manage the camera permissions, navigate to the Camera tab in the same window. On the right panel you will see all the applications that have access to the camera. Most apps you see on this list like Skype, Maps, etc., have legitimate reasons to access your camera.

However, if you want to, just toggle the button next to the app to either turn on or off the permissions. For instance, I’ve denied camera permission for all the apps except Skype, as that is that only app I use that needs my webcam.

Just like with location permissions, you can completely disable camera permissions for all apps by toggling the button under the “Camera” category.

Change Microphone Permissions

Microphone permissions are mostly needed for apps like Skype, Maps, Cortana, etc. If you want to control which app has access to your microphone, simply navigate to the Microphone tab, and you will see a list of apps. Just toggle the button next to an app.

Again, you can also completely block access to the microphone by toggling the button under the “Microphone” category.

Change Notification Access Permissions

In Windows 10 some apps will try to read your notifications and do things like create reminders, add events, etc., based on the notifications. If you don’t want other apps to read or monitor your notifications, you can easily manage those permissions from the Notifications tab in the Privacy window.

Just like with the other settings, you will see a list of all the apps that need this permission. As you can see, I don’t have any apps in this category. But if you do, then simply toggle the button next to them to grant or deny the permission.

Change Calendar Access Permissions

If you are using the built-in calendar app to manage all your tasks and appointments, then it is a good idea to check which apps have the permission to access the calendar data. You can do that from the Calendar tab.

Just navigate to the Calendar tab, and you can pick and choose which apps can access your calendar by simply toggling the button next to it.

Change Email Access Permissions

Again, if you are using the new Mail app in Windows 10 to manage your email accounts, then you can manage all the apps that have access to the Mail app from the “Email” tab.

To grant or deny the permission, toggle the button next to it.

Just like all the settings discussed above, you can manage other settings like Contacts, Messaging and Radios in the same manner by navigating to the target tab in the Privacy window. For every type of permission there is a universal button that lets you completely disable or enable that particular permission, so make use of it if need be.

The Complete Windows 10 Customization Guide

Updated with customization tips for Windows Creators Update. In this ebook we’ll be exploring the multitude of options to fully customize Windows 10. By the end of this ebook you’ll know how to make Windows 10 your own and become an expert Windows 10 user.